HILARIOUS pictures show a phone mast disguised as a tree – which furious locals say looks like a giant toilet brush.
The 25m-tall (82ft) mast was granted planning permission in June last year by council chiefs.
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But locals said attempts to hide green giant were “ineffective” as it stands more than double the height of the trees around it.
One resident said: “Oh dear it definitely looks nothing like a tree and very much like a gigantic toilet brush.”
A second chimed: “I think the mast alone would have looked better.”
A third held no punches as they branded the whopper as looking like “God’s lavvy brush”.
While another joker said baubles and tinsel could be put on the tree at Christmas.
More than 20 objections were made on the planning application for the mast at the time.
Concerns were raised around the impact the sore thumb would have on wildlife such as bats which nest only 40 metres from it.
And its “disguise” as a tree was laughed down given there would be a flashing light on top of the mast.
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Meanwhile the fact the surrounding trees are deciduous – meaning their leaves fall off in Autumn – the mast would look out of place.
Objectors added the “toilet brush” would spoil the “visual amenity” of the Dundas Special Landscape Area, located near South Queensferry, in Edinburgh.
While they added it would have a “detrimental” impact on nearby Dundas Castle.
One objection said: “The application is pretty much identical to the application that was rejected in 2020 by the planning authority other than trying to disguise this mast structure as an extremely tall tree that would seem out of place in the area.”
Meanwhile another said: “The only discernible difference appears to be that this 25m structure is now to be called a ‘tree mast’ and apparently partially disguised as a tree.”
The site is a replacement mast serving both EE and Three’s customers and being built by Mobile Broadband Network Limited (MBNL).
An spokesperson from MBNL said: “The Planning Authority accepted the operators’ proposals for a tree-styled mast to reduce the visual impact whilst ensuring critical mobile coverage will continue to be available to customers in the area, and accordingly the design was approved.”
